I will never forget the day when Sarah called me from the doctor's office and told me she had leukemia... Many of you reading this will recall the very day when bad news overtook you and left your faithless for a moment. I was not use to hearing bad news like that in my family. Since that day I received the news from my younger brother Robert who is a pastor in Maryland, that two of his three daughters were diagnosed with MS. Funny how quickly bad news can take away all hope and faith. Everything that you have taught from the pulpit now is challenged...Everything you believed about God is challenged. I have since learned that faith is not true faith without testing. It is what you do that proves what you believe. When I receieved that call from Sarah I also received many other calls that made me doubt and misunderstand the Word of God. I had only one option...What did God's Word say about this?
I have since found that the Word of God has much to say about the testings of your faith. God does have a divine purpose in all that comes your way. Some will be overtaken, destroyed and even lose faith in God and fall away. WHY? Because their faith failed them. It wasn't rooted and grounded in the Word of God. It had no root!
How do you get it rooted? Trust in the Words that God gave to you through His Word. You may be asking WHY LORD? Why am I having to go through this trial? When Job had received word that he had lost everything he did something amazing...he shaved his head, put on sack cloth and ashes and HE WORSHIPED! You heard me right! He worshiped! Why? Because he trusted fully in God and knew God had his best interest at heart. I know this is hard to do and it might take time to get to that place. That is why God needs the church to reach out to those who are suffering and become encouragers to them. I encourage all that are going through trials to use them to push you into a new place with God by seeking the face of God. Sometimes trials are God's only way to get you from point A to point B.
Yesterday in church we had two people testify of being completely healed of cancer...one of them never had any treatments at all and the doctor was all but positive that according to his tests he had cancer. BUT GOD...God healed Him. I do know however that he wrestled with God while waiting to be tested...this is when you have to put faith to the test and know that God is going to speak into your life. It is not easy and some are allowed to go through things that will push them into great testing...but never give up! God hears the cries of those who suffer. I know it is not easy for you and that many of you are afraid...I pray that God will restore true faith in your heart and that He will comfort you in ways that you do not understand...When my wife Sarah was sick I prayed everyday and wrote a daily blog that I used to challenge my faith to believe in God...the blog is now a book, "Weak in Body, Strong of Heart." My wife is doing great and God has touched her...but it was a journey of faith. May God be with you during your journey as well. Please do not hesitate to send us your prayer requests and testimonies to encourage others with, and we will stand with you believing for your miracle.
Thanks for listening
Pastor Kent
